The sale started well enough, with some good solid results for the usual suspects. A small bright and colourful Karl Maughan had four phone bidders on the lines and realised $10,000 against a low estimate of $6,000. Works from 'Off the Hook' had a good reception from the room and collection members, with several lots selling well above estimates. Star Gossage’s The World is Your House, There are no Walls (Lot 14 ), which had been requested for a major exhibition next year sold for $9,500 against a $5,000 reserve and a small Max Gimblett quatrefoil The Wind Blows Where it Pleases (Lot 17 ) in a very attractive colourway of red and blue made $13,500 from the $7,000 reserve. Of the three works by Fiona Pardington, one really shone which was a micro view of a butterfly wing, the large scale photograph measuring 120 cm x 80 cm. Lycaeides Melissa no.1, (Lot 18 ) had an almost iridescent quality in the top section of the wing was well bid in the room to sell above the top estimate at $20,000.
A conceptual text work by Billy Apple Tales of Gold (Gold Standard) (Lot 42 ) which forms part of his long standing art transactions series was well contested by a telephone bidder and a room buyer to realise $32,000, well over the $20,000 low estimate and secure the second highest price for the artist at auction.
Flowing easily into the middle section of the auction where A+O had placed all the major works, a Richard Killeen cutout and a Bill Sutton landscape both sold mid estimates to pave the way for a second highest result of the night for Pat Hanly, Golden Age (F) (Lot 54 ) which fell just shy of the low estimate at $155,000.
For a number of years, the auction world has been waiting for an exceptional example of a painting by Gretchen Albrecht to come to the open market and for the stature and significance she carries as a painter, her auction prices were woefully low. Thankfully that work was present on Tuesday night, and Skyfall – Seaward (Lot 52 ) was the one to wait for. Lyrical and gestural, with rich saturated colour and in fabulous original condition when most from that period are faded, it was no surprise that two art consultants and two phone bidders contested the work from $50,0000 just under the low estimate of $60,000 all the way to $105,000 to set a new record for the artist and hopefully a new benchmark for her prices as well. The top lot in the sale went to Colin McCahon’s Journey into a dark landscape No.2 (Lot 49 ). This must be one of McCahon’s most commercially difficult series, totally monochromatic with the only contrast being provided by sawdust mixed in with the acrylic paint. Without a strong light, the painting would appear totally black. The work sold just under the low estimate at $270,000 and interestingly to the same buyer as the aforementioned Billy Apple and it’s a refreshing change to see buyers with an interest in challenging, conceptual works in the auction room.
The lots at the end of the sale ticked over nicely with other works selling easily and succinctly. A Toss Woollaston watercolour titled Blackball (Lot 60 ) had the most incredibly strong colour that I have ever seen on a work on paper by the artist and the buyers agreed, someone paying $7,500 for this example. One of the best lots of the sale was tucked away at the end, Marmaduke (Lot 68 ) by Terry Stringer is the most fantastic angular bronze sculpture of a sleeping cat produced in an edition of 6. The last time Marmaduke was offered at auction was in 2003 and I am acquainted with the owners – their Marmaduke is still a treasured part of their collection, 17 years on. This edition was estimated at $6,000-$9,000 but art deco looking cats are a rare and popular commodity and this work ended up selling for $9,400. Perhaps the buyer had been waiting since 2003 for their chance to acquire one.
Combing back through the results, the night was yet another resounding success and as at Webb’s, there was buoyancy across all areas of the market. The last time other industry professionals remember such consistently strong results was in the early 2000s. Right after the auction, A+O was reporting over $2 million in sales including buyer's premium and a clearance rate of 74% which will have increased with post sales. As for the future of the auction market this year, I’ll stay away from predicting what might happen and just hang on and enjoy the ride!
All prices are hammer prices unless otherwise indicated and are expressed in $NZ.
